The organisations and individuals leading positive environmental change were recognised at the recent ‘Premier’s Sustainability Awards’ in Victoria.
This prestigious annual sustainability awards program celebrates Victorian businesses, local governments and communities leading the way in sustainable innovation and practices. Each of the six categories has two winners, which were refreshed in 2021 to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos congratulated the 12 awards winners, commenting: “The Premier’s Sustainability Awards recognise Victorians that are dedicated to sustainability and who are working towards a thriving circular economy.”
A broad range of businesses and community groups were championed, from Bunyip Renewables Action Group, whose vision is to transition their community to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030; UPPAREL, a textile recovery and recycling initiative aiming to combat the global textile waste crisis; and Porous Lane, a company turning waste tyres into permeable pavement.
Premier Jacinta Allan personally selected the winners of the two overall awards. The Premier’s Recognition Award was presented to Assembled Threads and Geelong Sustainability received the Premier’s Regional Recognition Award.
Matt Genever, Interim CEO, of Sustainability Victoria, said, “All of these winners have challenged the status quo and shown true leadership in their fields. I feel inspired and elated to hear their stories and learn about the difference they’re making.”
To view the profiles of the winners and finalists, visit www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/psa-2023-winners or see list below.
Premier’s Recognition Award
Premier’s Regional Recognition Award
Circular Economy Innovation
Future Energy
Healthy and Fair Society
Thriving Environment
Sustainable Places
Waste and Recycling Solutions
Brisbane will host the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2032, and the city will be as green as it is gold as the Lord Mayor pledges the planting of one million native plants before the opening ceremonies.
Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said “With the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games rapidly approaching, we are rolling up our sleeves now to sow the seeds for future environmental health”
He continued “On average, Council plants more than 56,000 native plants annually, handing out an additional 45,000 saplings for free to residents each year. With our extensive tree planting program, the one million native plants will help add over 1.5 million plants to key environmental areas in Brisbane in the lead-up to 2032.”
Brisbane Council’s Sustainability Agency has partnered with Greening Australia to deliver the ‘Biodiverse Brisbane Initiative’, to create and restore natural habitats across the city.
Through the partnership, up to 500 hectares of urban wildlife habitat. The one million plants will create and restore critical wildlife habitats, especially along our wetland and riverbank areas in Brisbane, with long-lasting benefits for the city, it’s natural surroundings and precious wildlife.
Chair of Brisbane Sustainability Agency, Nigel Chamier AM commented “Brisbane 2032 is our goal, but this is also about creating an environmental legacy beyond the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
The projects will contribute to the Council achieving its goal of 40% natural habitat cover across Brisbane.
“We are committed to putting the plans in place now so that we can welcome the world to a cleaner and greener Brisbane in 2032 and beyond,” Schrinner said.
If you’d like to know how to reduce your carbon footprint at home or at work contact the Cool Planet team today.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has rallied industry leaders in the solar space to launch its white paper on the ‘incredible potential’ of ultra-low-cost solar (ULCS) for Australia and the world.
This report details why ultra-low-cost solar is critical for reducing electricity costs and decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as industry and transport, and how it can offer exciting green export opportunities for Australia.
At the forefront of the white paper is ARENA’s 30-30-30 vision: 30% solar module efficiency with an installed cost of 30 cents per watt by 2030.
ARENA sees ULCS as key to Australia becoming a renewable energy superpower. While current technology is sufficient for domestic energy use, ULCS will be critical in reducing the cost of renewable electricity for heavy industrial processes.
The main objectives for ‘The Incredible ULCS’ white paper are to:
ULCS could lead to much cheaper electricity for Australians and export opportunities to neighbouring countries, as well as support the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors such as industry and transport.
Did you know that buildings account for over 50% of electricity use in Australia and almost a quarter of its emissions? For many in the building industry, the opportunities to contribute to the decarbonisation of Australia are enormous, and their subsequent designs and builds are reflective of a clear focus on sustainability.
In 2022 Four Pillars Gin teamed up with sustainable architecture and design firm Breathe to create an immersive gin experience, completely underpinned by a commitment to sustainability. The project significantly expanded visitor capacity, featuring a new production space, an outdoor gin garden, tuckshop, dedicated gin shop, a custom bar, and an events space, establishing Four Pillars as not just Australia’s largest gin-focused distillery but also Australia’s first carbon neutral gin distillery.
The success of the project is a clear demonstration of how a company has looked at all the factors in their business that are contributing to their carbon footprint and then utilised a design mindset to create solutions. A 100kW solar rooftop, recycled masonry and a stunning copper veil wrapping the new distillery that functions as a natural heat exchanger to reduce energy consumption are some of the results of that mindset. The clever people at Four Pillars have also worked out how to pipe gin directly into the main bar from production through copper pipes, saving 29 tonnes of glass per year.
Whilst not every business has the capital to embark on a journey such as Four Pillars Gin, they can have the same motivation. The motivation to be a more sustainable business can be the lightning rod that gets you started on your sustainability journey.
If you’re feeling motivated reach out to one of our consultants and let’s turn that motivation into action.
NSW Government has recently announced round five of the Bin Trim Program, which Cool Planet are proudly part of.
‘Bin Trim’ is a business waste program aimed at avoiding, reusing, and reducing waste, as well as saving money and cutting carbon emissions. It encourages innovation and collaboration across industry sectors, supply chains and precincts to address problem waste materials.
The project expansion includes $6 million in grants to be awarded to NSW businesses to help them reduce waste and cut emissions over the next year. This step to reaching Australia’s 2030 carbon reduction goals will:
• Divert ~35,000 tonnes of waste from landfills each year.
• Assist 4,000 SMEs across NSW to reduce their carbon output.
Cool Planet has been successful in becoming 1 of 14 projects awarded and will utilise their funding to educate more than 15,000 preschool children and engage 10,000 families on the importance and benefits of recycling and engage staff and families to participate.
As well as mentoring, Cool Planet will divert more than 1,000 tonnes of waste from 400 early childhood education services that include food, soft plastics, and nappies.
Overall, the program is part of the NSW Government’s Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy, which will invest $356 million over five years. Contact Cool Planet today and find out more on saving costs and the environment.
The climate crisis presents a formidable challenge, but Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers a powerful ally in our efforts to combat it. Here’s a snapshot of the ways in which AI is being harnessed:
1. Optimising Renewable Energy
AI systems developed by Google and DeepMind are being used to enhance the efficiency of renewable energy systems, a critical step in reducing carbon emissions. Predictive modelling and data analytics improve energy grid management, ensuring the reliability and cost-effectiveness of renewable sources like solar and wind power.
2. Climate Modelling and Prediction
The United Nations Energy Program (UNEP) manages vast datasets to create more accurate climate models. These models enable scientists and policymakers to anticipate extreme weather events, assess climate change’s impact on ecosystems, and develop strategies for adaptation and mitigation.
3. Carbon Emissions Reduction
Buildings account for 40% of global carbon emissions. Tech start-up Mortar.io uses AI to plan carbon reduction schemes for entire real estate portfolios in minutes, rather than months. Eugene.ai is an emission intelligence platform designed to help manufacturers that work in the metal and mining, oil, and gas industries decarbonise their operations. They use satellite imagery and machine learning to track, trace, and reduce emissions by 20-30%.
4. Biodiversity Preservation
AI supports biodiversity conservation by monitoring and protecting endangered species. Autonomous drones equipped with AI algorithms detect illegal poaching activities, and machine learning analyses ecosystem sensor data for informed conservation decisions, as reported by ABC News.
5. Agriculture and Food Security
John Deere and IBM have both developed revolutionary AI systems to assist agriculture crop management, waste reduction, and increasing yields. Precision agriculture, driven by AI, provides real-time data for informed decisions, ensuring food security and reducing agriculture’s environmental impact.
6. Sustainable Transportation
AI is now ubiquitous in transport management, helping optimise traffic management, route planning and the development of electric and autonomous vehicles. These innovations reduce emissions by optimising driving patterns and minimising idling time.
Although Artificial Intelligence may assist in the fight against climate change, it still requires large amounts of energy to process the data and power the computer systems. Both humans and machines, however, are learning fast.
To assist organisations of all sizes, Cool Planet has developed a simple online tool that enables time-poor business managers to achieve carbon neutrality & obtain certifications such as Climate Active & B-Corp with relative ease.
